Patients at the Rosie are being warned of an outbreak of MRSA on the maternity hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

As of yesterday, there were six babies found to be carrying the superbug, a common type of bacteria often carried on the skin and inside the nostrils and throat.

It can cause mild infections of the skin, such as boils and impetigo but if the bacteria gets into a break in the skin, they can cause life-threatening infections such as blood poisoning or endocarditis.

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH), the Trust which runs Addenbrooke's and the Rosie hospitals, said the outbreak had been on the ward within the last month but all parents were kept informed once staff realised there was a higher instance than usual of MRSA colonisation.

Matthew Simms, 25, of Papworth Everard, said his sister Sabrina, 29, had been waiting to be induced at the Rosie since she was admitted on Tuesday but the outbreak had held things up.

"She's been sat there since Tuesday. I feel worried about my sister being in there," he told the News. "She's very stressed because she's got a child at home she's trying to deal with childcare and it's making it a very stressful time for her."

It is still unknown how the superbug got into the ward, which has remained open throughout.

A CUH spokesman, said: "As part of our routine monitoring for infection on the Neonatal Unit, a number of babies have been found to be carrying methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on their skin.

"We are treating all MRSA carriers and screening other patients on the ward frequently to closely monitor the situation.

"Infection Control is something we take very seriously and all measures to control the situation are being taken."

The hospital spokesman added that representatives from Public Health England are attending meetings to assess the situation.

NICU is an intensive care unit specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn babies and has about 36 patients on it.